1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and system for operating an online 8-direction battle game using a personal computer (PC).
2. Description of the Related Art
An input device, such as a keyboard or a mouse, is typically used when a user plays a game using a game program or a game content provided over the Internet. The input device is included in a game execution device such as a PC.
Recently, an input device for exclusive use in games, for example a joystick or a joypad, has also been utilized in addition to a keyboard or a mouse. Such an input device for exclusive use in games enables a user to enjoy a game in a more realistic manner, compared to using a keyboard or a mouse. Accordingly, a great number of users utilize the input device for exclusive use in games.
In a battle game such as an arcade game, a method of operating a stick such as a joystick is used so that a user may enter a desired command by manipulating the stick in order to use skills of a character.
In the case of a PC game, users may typically enter commands for use of skills of the character using a combination of direction keys such as arrow keys on a keyboard (for example, ↓,  →, and the like) and buttons on a keyboard (for example, P, K and the like).
For example, to implement a command ‘↓ →↓ →+P’, a user may consecutively input direction commands ↓,  →, ↓,  →, and button P using a stick. In this instance, even when six steps are required to set the command by the stick, the command enables the user to easily manipulate and operate the stick.
Alternatively, when the user desires to enter the command ‘↓ →↓ →+P’ using a keyboard included in a PC, he or she needs to ‘smoothly but rapidly’ press direction keys ↓→, so that the input is recognized as a diagonal direction, namely . In other words, the user needs to input only direction keys ↓, →, ↓, → and button P, instead of inputting ↓,  →, ↓,  →, and button P.
Additionally, the user continues to only input via a button to use skills of a character in an online 8-direction battle game, and thus it is easy to utilize the skills using the keyboard of the PC.
A combo-type skill is useful to attack a predetermined rear part of an opponent, however, it is not possible to independently use a rear attack skill. In addition, when a user desires to enter a command using the keyboard, direction keys of the keyboard are used to utilize skills. However, in this instance, a combination of direction keys and buttons is only used to activate the skills, not to select a part of a battle opponent to which the attack skill is to be applied. Additionally, since it is impossible to enter a command ‘→↓+P’ using the keyboard, direction keys ↓, →, ↓, → are mixed and combined.
Moreover, in a conventional system, a command to apply skills of a character is recognized as one of characteristics pertaining to the character, and thus a user needs to memorize commands individually, thereby causing an inconvenience for the user.